"Aren't Giratina and Groudon the Pokémon that belong to Cyclizar Mask? Then how are they still being controlled?"
Hearing this, Ash immediately turned to look at Naoki.
He had visited Naoki's ranch before and even battled against Calyrex.
After that, a mysterious masked man had fought alongside legendary Pokémon and even Arceus to protect the Sinnoh region.
And the hero of that story just so happened to have a Calyrex in his care.
Naoki's eyelid twitched. 'Wait a minute… did Hoopa just summon half the legendary Pokémon from my ranch?!'
In the sky, Shadow Hoopa's rough and hoarse voice echoed with pride.
"Hoopa is the strongest!"
As it shouted, the legendary Pokémon under its control launched their assault on Koraidon and the Great Hero Expedition Team all at once.
Dialga roared with Roar of Time, Giratina hurled a massive Shadow Ball, Palkia tore through space with Spacial Rend, Kyurem unleashed a freezing Glaciate, Groudon shot forth waves of scorching magma with Lava Plume, and Kyogre brought crashing waves with Origin Pulse.
Six legendary Pokémon attacked simultaneously, unleashing a cataclysmic energy wave that seemed to rip the very fabric of the world apart.
Koraidon and Mew tried to hold their ground, but even their combined might couldn't withstand such overwhelming force.
They were struck down into the desert, and a thunderous explosion followed.
Dust billowed into the sky, and a powerful sandstorm swept across the battlefield.
Everyone shielded their mouths and noses as the sand stung their faces. Citron couldn't help coughing violently.
"Koraidon!" Naoki narrowed his eyes and looked up at the sky. Now was no longer the time to keep secrets.
He turned to the dazed Hoopa and shouted, "Hoopa!"
Hoopa blinked, snapping back to reality. "Hoopa is here!"
"Listen carefully! It's our turn to summon help!" Naoki declared. "Lugia, Guardian of the Seas! Rayquaza, Sky High Pokémon! Calyrex, King of Bounty! Ho-oh, Phoenix King! And Latias and Latios!"
"Hoopa understands!" Golden rings shimmered around Hoopa as multiple halos appeared in the air, expanding until they glowed brightly.
A serene blue light emerged first. Accompanied by a majestic, melodic cry, Lugia spread its wings and soared from the portal.
A shiny light followed, Rayquaza burst out like a thunderbolt, its serpentine body slicing through the air with a fierce growl.
Next came the elegant form of the Calyrex, cloaked in a tranquil blue aura. The King of Bounty hovered with calm wisdom, offering a confident nod.
Then twin beams of red and gold radiated in the sky. The Phoenix King cried out beautifully as it flew from the halo, its wings trailing sacred fire that shimmered in the sunlight.
Lastly, the Eon duo emerged together, the sleek red Latias and the streamlined blue Latios, darting through the air in graceful loops. Ash's eyes lit up, these were the same ones he had once met in the Water Capital of Alto Mare.
Baraz and Meray were completely dumbfounded by what they were witnessing.
This development had completely blown past anything they had imagined.
But soon, the siblings regained their composure.
Baraz looked at the shattered Punishment Bottle and quickly turned to the others. "The most important thing now is to repair the Bottle! Only then can we truly stop all of this!"
"But repairing the Prison Bottle requires three elemental energies: water, fire, and ground. Where are we going to find Pokémon that can help with that right now?" Meray asked anxiously.
"My Froakie is a Water-type Pokémon! It can help!" Ash said, quickly pulling a Poké Ball from his belt.
"My Fennekin's a Fire-type!" Serena added with a raised hand.
"I know someone who can help with the Ground-type!" Bonnie chimed in confidently.
With Bonnie's guidance, Hoopa quickly summoned a Hippowdon through one of its golden rings.
Ash handed Froakie's Poké Ball to Serena. "I'll leave the repair of the Prison Bottle to you. Naoki and I will hold things down here!"
"Be careful!" Serena called out, her eyes full of concern.
"There's no time! Let's move!" Baraz released his Braviary, and the others boarded the rented flying taxis. They took off quickly, heading straight for the Desert Tower in Dahara City.
Before long, only Naoki and Ash remained in the desert.
"Hoopa is the strongest!" Shadow Hoopa bellowed furiously, and with a wave of its arms, it commanded the six legendary Pokémon at its side to charge.
Primal Groudon vs. Rayquaza.
Primal Kyogre vs. Lugia.
Giratina vs. Ho-Oh.
Kyurem vs. Koraidon.
And Calyrex stood alone to face both Dialga and Palkia, the gods of time and space.
A legendary war was about to erupt!
Shadow Hoopa watched the unfolding battle with twisted satisfaction. The next target? That little nuisance—Hoopa!
Its massive body lurched forward, charging toward Ash and the weakened Hoopa.
Naoki's brow furrowed.
"Latias, Latios, protect Ash and Hoopa!" he shouted. His gaze then turned to Calyrex, who was still not in full power. "Hoopa, summon Glastrier too!"
"Glastrier? Got it!" Hoopa reached into a golden ring. "Hoopa—pull!"
The next second, the mighty figure of Glastrier stepped out, cloaked in frost and nobility.
Latias and Latios zoomed toward Ash, motioning for him to hop on.
"Alright, I'll leave it to you guys!" Ash shouted, jumping onto Latias's back.
Mew, Teddiursa, Zapdos, and Victini all followed closely, flying alongside him to protect both Ash and Hoopa.
"Don't fight it yet. Just buy me a little time, I'll help you win this!" Naoki said calmly.
Ash blinked in surprise, then lit up with excitement. "Got it!"
As expected of Mr. Naoki. He always made everything feel safe!
"Latias, let's go!"
Latias cried out as she soared into the sky, carrying Ash into the air.
Shadow Hoopa snarled and chased after them, hurtling upward in pursuit.
Naoki watched carefully. With Ash temporarily safe, he shifted his attention to the clash of titans before him.
The sky was torn apart by overwhelming energy. Flashes of time, space, flames, frost, shadow, and lightning exploded across the desert. Even the very air around them seemed too fragile to contain such power.
This was no longer a fight ordinary people could ever interfere with.
Naoki took a deep breath, then leapt onto Glastrier and galloped towards Calyrex.
The King of Bounty was locked in battle against Dialga and Palkia, standing firm with the divine power of nearly a hundred million prayers behind him.
Even facing two gods at once, he held his ground.
"Calyrex! Glastrier is here!" Naoki called as he jumped from the icy steed.
In that instant, Naoki activated his ability.
He gently placed his right hand on Dialga's forehead and softly said, "It's okay now… the bad guys are gone."
His voice was calm but sincere, even if a little embarrassed to be saying something so silly out loud.
This ability had come from a strange dish he once cooked. According to its mysterious description, if you placed your right hand on a Pokémon's forehead and said those exact words, you could soothe even the angriest Pokémon and help them return to their senses.
And now… Naoki watched Dialga closely.
Slowly, the red rage in Dialga's eyes began to fade.
Its breathing calmed.
Naoki let out a long sigh of relief.
BOOM!
Suddenly, another massive shockwave erupted nearby.
Naoki turned just in time to see Palkia get struck by a piercing lance of ice launched by Ice Rider Calyrex. The powerful blow knocked Palkia aside, landing it next to Dialga.
Three minutes later, the glow in Palkia's red eyes faded.
Palkia, too, had regained consciousness.
Naoki didn't waste time explaining. With the battle still raging, he immediately sprinted toward Koraidon's position.
Calyrex, still mounted on Glastrier, rode close behind.
Suddenly, Calyrex entire body emitted an overwhelming surge of psychic energy. That mighty force reached out and subdued Kyurem, halting its rampage mid-air.
Naoki seized the moment.
He climbed onto Koraidon, galloped to Kyurem's side, and placed his right hand gently against Kyurem's forehead.
"Kyurem, it's okay now… the bad guys have been driven away."
The red glow in Kyurem's eyes flickered, then vanished.
Kyurem blinked slowly as clarity returned. Realization struck it like a cold wave.
It still remembered everything it had done under the shadow's control. Its voice rumbled deeply with guilt.
"Sorry."
"It's alright," Naoki said warmly, patting Kyurem's head. "It wasn't your fault."
But Kyurem clenched its massive claws. The memory of being used like a puppet ignited a storm of rage within its frozen heart.
"Go help Ash and Hoopa!" Naoki instructed.
Kyurem nodded solemnly.
Then, in a flash of shifting energy, it transformed into its Black Kyurem form and shot off toward the skies, aiming straight for Shadow Hoopa.
"Great teamwork!" Naoki grinned, giving a thumbs-up to Calyrex, who rode alongside him atop the Glastrier.
...
Bonus @500
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